Yes, Nuts Are High in Fat. Can They Really Stave Off Weight Gain?
A recent study published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health found that swapping out unhealthy snacks for nuts can help keep off gradual weight gain.
Incorporating nuts into you diet is a way to get more protein, vitamins, and minerals.
When you get that 2 p.m. snack craving, you probably find yourself searching the office vending machine for something salty or sweet. But if you’re trying to keep your weight in check, those options may not be the healthiest bet.
Now, new research published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health suggests that there is a smart choice if you want a salty snack: nuts. Keeping walnuts or other tree nuts, such as almonds, cashews, and pistachios, in your desk drawer might help stave off weight gain.
In the study, researchers looked at data from three past datasets (including 51,529 male health professionals, aged 40 to 75; 121,700 nurses, aged 35 to 55; and 116,686 nurses, aged 24 to 44) that asked participants about exercise, diet, weight, and snacking habits. This included gathering data on the frequency the participants ate a serving (1 ounce) of walnuts or tree nuts or servings of peanut butter (one tablespoon) over the course of the previous year.
Participants who increased their total nut consumption by one-half serving a day, or 3.5 servings per week throughout the course of the study were 3 percent less likely to become obese. Specifically, snacking on one-half serving of walnuts led to a 15 percent lower risk of developing obesity, and doing the same for other tree nuts was associated with an 11 percent lower risk of developing obesity.
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Adding nuts in place of other salty or sweet, less healthful snacks also helped to keep off the nearly one pound that people tend to gain per year, according to the study. Those who snacked on at least one-half serving of nuts per day rather than chips, processed meats, French fries or desserts, kept off about 0.9 to 1.5 pounds every four years.
While that doesn’t sound like much, even small amounts of weight gain can add up over the years.
“We found that modest changes in nuts were associated with modest benefits to weight. Importantly, we did not find that increasing nuts was associated with weight gain, which is what many adhering to the low-fat advice might predict given the high amount of healthy fats in nuts,” Deirdre Tobias, Sc.D., an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, told Bicycling.
Now, it’s important to recognize that this study was partially funded by the Peanut Institution and California Walnut Commission, which obviously would like to emphasize the benefits of eating nuts. Still, the study went through a rigorous peer review before publication, and the results fall in line with previous research on the topic.
In fact, one study published in Obesity found that people who did not eat nuts gained about 0.9 pounds more than those consumed nuts two or more times per week after a 28-month follow up period. Another meta-analysis published in Advances in Nutrition found that adults who ate about 1.5 servings of almonds per week reduced their body weight and LDL (bad) cholesterol compared to those who didn’t eat almonds.
What’s more, nutritionists support the addition of nuts into your diet: Lori Nedescu, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., founder of Hungry for Results agreed that adding nuts to an already well-rounded diet is very beneficial for health. She added consuming about five servings of nuts a week is the recommended amount.
“Nuts are full of monounsaturated fats, which are considered heart-healthy,” she said. “They also contain protein and vitamins and minerals such as copper, zinc, and vitamin E which help support healing and immunity—all great for athletes.”
One question, however, pops up pretty frequently: Nuts are high in fat—one serving of almonds contains 14 grams of fat and 164 calories, for instance—so how can that help keep your weight in check?
Nuts are full of monounsaturated fats, which are very filling, said Nedescu. So even though you are eating a good amount of fat (and calories) with your snack, they tend to leave you more satiated, so you aren’t tempted to hit the vending machine for round two.
Still, it’s easy to go overboard, Nedescu cautioned.
“Many trendy raw, vegan, paleo, keto bars/energy balls contain many servings of nuts, making the snack extremely caloric and high fat—two things that can lead to weight gain and gastric distress if consumed frequently,” Nedescu said.
Another thing to watch out for: candied nuts on salads or treats. These add simple sugars to your meal that can contribute to weight gain.
The best way to incorporate nuts is to grab a serving of whole, raw nuts as a snack. This way you can appreciate the flavor and satisfying qualities of them and control the portion being consumed. Additionally, a spread of nut butter on your toast or small spoonful in your oats can also be a great meal addition to boost satiety.
“Bottom line, nuts are extremely healthful when consumed in their natural form and in combination with an overall high quality diet,” Nedescu said.
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